St. Germain l'Auxerrois

In 1865 the young Monet had his first works accepted by the “Salon des Beaux Arts,” the official show of art in Paris. In 1867 his works were already being refused. This was the time when Monet and his friends were developing the principles of Impressionism, a form of painting that seeks to capture the first “impression” of what the eye sees, and which disappointed the public’s preconceived notions of how things actually looked. In April 1867, Monet and Renoir had asked the board of the Louvre for permission to put up their easels in the columned passage of the Perrault Wing. Looking out from this elevated position, Monet painted three views of the city. The view towards the Gothic Church of St. Germain l’Auxerrois and the surrounding residential area depicts the solidity of the architecture, with Monet handling its intricate bulk with skill and artistry. At the same time, however, the blossoming chestnut trees and the colored daubs representing people walking about already point towards Impressionism in its maturity.